Above: Rip Curl rider, Nikki Van Dijk trying out the Wave Garden Cove technology at the demo site in Spain.
Rip Curl, one of the original surfing companies, and inland surfing expert, The Wave, have announced that they are teaming up. The partnership, which sees Rip Curl supply all the wetsuits for The Wave’s first destination, was revealed as the company marks its 50thAnniversary.
The Wave is currently building its first inland surfing destination in Bristol, UK, and when it opens in the autumn it will be the first place in the northern hemisphere to offer the ground-breaking Wavegarden Cove technology. The team has a site agreed for The Wave London and a roll-out plan for several other destinations in the coming 5-10 years.
Rip Curl will be providing its ‘Surf School Steamer’ wetsuit model for the Surf School, which is one of the most durable and user-friendly wetsuits on the market. There will be a wide range of sizes in both female and male suits, so that all visitors get exactly the right fit for them. The Wave will also have a number of Rip Curl’s Dawn Patrol suits available. These are particularly flexible and performance-focused and are aimed at intermediate to advanced surfers. There will also be opportunities to test Rip Curl’s latest wetsuit technologies at the Rip Curl Test Centre.
Nick Hounsfield, The Wave Founder, said:
“We are excited to be partnering with Rip Curl to make sure everyone is well suited and booted at The Wave! We spent a long time researching every type of wetsuit and wetsuit manufacturer, to ensure we got this essential partnership spot on – both from a product perspective, but also in terms of finding a company that has the right fit with our ethos and what we want to achieve at The Wave.
“Fifty years on Rip Curl is still constantly pushing to be at the forefront of innovation, in terms of wetsuits and surfing. There is a definite synergy with The Wave. The adventures and entrepreneurship that drove the founders at the start of Rip Curl are very similar to that which sparked The Wave.”
Rip Curl is a company run by surfers for surfers, and its key brand philosophy of ‘the Search’ still runs deep. The Search is the driving force of the brand; it describes the quest and need to travel and discover the lifestyle of the oceans. It’s the idea of adventure, looking for and surfing good waves, having a good time and then getting up the next day and doing it all again.
Matthieu Lefin, Rip Curl Europe President, said:
“Since the first time we met with The Wave team, we felt immediately that it was going to be a great partnership. Both companies are willing to go beyond the boundaries of conventional thinking and practice – it’s a perfect way for Rip Curl to push the ‘Search’ even further forward!”
Rip Curl will also be offering a complete collection of apparel and hardware in the surf store at The Wave. This will include its new organic range, Salt Water Culture, which covers men and boys and is a global initiative to use organic cotton and recycled yarns across all the products. The women’s range will also include innovations such as Econyl in the swimwear, which is made from regenerated nylon yarns. There will be a dedicated wetsuit area, offering a comprehensive range of wetsuits to cater for all, from our top-end Flashbomb Heatseeker to our entry level Omega wetsuit.
As the Ultimate Surfing Company, Rip Curl supports an international team of riders, including two-time World Surf League (WSL) world champion Gabriel Medina, three-time WSL world champ Mick Fanning and two-time Ladies WSL world champ Tyler Wright. It also supports UK crew, including Britons Ellie Turner, Harry de Roth, Seth Morris and some up and coming juniors. The high-performance training opportunity that The Wave will offeris something that really appeals to the elite ridersand some of the world’s bestsurfers will be dropping into Bristol soon!
Sean Harris, UK & Ireland Country Sales Manager, sums up:
“Rip Curl are stoked to be teaming up with The Wave, and supporting their project to bring the latest Cove Wavegarden Cove technology to the UK. The vision, passion and dedication of the team involved is inspiring to see and Rip Curl looks forward to developing a strong and long lasting partnership with The Wave.
“It’s an exciting time for us, marking 50 years in the industry, and an incredible time for surfing with the 2020 Olympics on the horizon and massive developments in wave-making technology and inland surfing. Our elite team can’t wait to try out The Wave and we can’t wait to welcome your visitors to Europe’s newest surf destination!
For more information on The Wave visit thewave.com. For more information on Rip Curl visit ripcurl.com
